US election 2020 thread

[littlebabyjesus]

in a primary election yes, since he was on the democratic ticket.
what's a sub?

Money. Membership fee.

 

[petee]

Money. Membership fee.

on the club level i think there are fees.

 

[Wilf]

what's a sub?

Don't tell him Pike!

 

[littlebabyjesus]

If I say I'm a democratic communist, can I still join the Democrats?

 

[petee]

If I say I'm a democratic communist, can I still join the Democrats?

the rigtwingers here would say there's no difference.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

God, US politics is so confusing.

 

[Streathamite]

what's a sub?

A subscription.
For instance, members of the Labour Party in Great Britain pay an annual membership subscription of £50 (less for studants, retirees, the unwaged etc).

 

[Streathamite]

If I say I'm a democratic communist, can I still join the Democrats?

You would probably be quite welcome in these guys

Who we are
The Democratic Socialists of America is the largest socialist organization in the United States, with over 70,000 members. We believe that working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few.
What we do
We are a political and activist organization, not a party; through campus and community-based chapters, DSA members use a variety of tactics, from legislative to direct action, to fight for reforms that empower working people.

AOC - amongst others - is a member.
They are also the second fastest-growing political organisation in the USA - second only to Black Lives Matter.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

For comparison petee, the info on the electoral register in the UK is:

1. full name
2. nationality
3. aged 76 or over (exempt from jury service)
4. postal or proxy vote
5. included on the open register?

And that's it. I think the old form used to contain a field for DOB if someone was about to hit 18 and needed to be added.

Years ago you used to have to sign the form, but they do it online now if you want. You get a letter every year outlining the above entries asking you to update the register entry if it has changed, otherwise you don't need to do anything.

The open register is a version of the electoral roll which can be sold to companies for marketing and shit so sensible people opt out of that. But the full roll can be accessed via the local council if someone wants to under the principle of transparency. Political parties have access to it for their own purposes, and get free postage for sending mailshots at election time - sometimes these are addressed by name (if they can be arsed to understand mailmerge) or not.

 

[Streathamite]

You would probably be quite welcome in these guys

AOC - amongst others - is a member.
They are also the second fastest-growing political organisation in the USA - second only to Black Lives Matter.

E2a; on current evidence, membership is not incompatible with being a registered Democrat, or indeed, candidate for office on a Democratic slate

 

[Streathamite]

You get a letter every year asking you to update the register entry if it has changed, otherwise you don't need to do anything.

I honestly can't remember ever receiving one of those from LB Waltham Forest. So, I check myself regularly.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

you join when you register, so if when you register to vote you choose to identify a party, you're a member of that party. and you can join later, or leave, it's not up to the party (i mean, they might expel you) it's recorded with the board of elections.

Isn't that wide open to abuse? Loads of people could say they register with the Monster Raving Loony Party and then vote in their primaries, only to be taking the piss?

 

[petee]

Isn't that wide open to abuse? Loads of people could say they register with the Monster Raving Loony Party and then vote in their primaries, only to be taking the piss?

yes, but then you'd be barred from participation in the workings of the party you really support.
there are egregious examples, but it's a hassle to pull a stunt like that.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I honestly can't remember ever receiving one of those from LB Waltham Forest. So, I check myself regularly.

You should get the letter each August/September time as that's when councils normally update the register. If you're not it's worth checking with the electoral registration office to make sure you don't run the risk of something going wrong.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

yes, but then you'd be barred from participation in the workings of the party you really support.
there are egregious examples, but it's a hassle to pull a stunt like that.

But it is odd in that groups of people who hate that party could declare that and potentially swing a primary to the advantage of their real choice of party (i.e. pick a hopeless candidate). It sounds similar to the arguments in the UK about membership surges in the political parties when they're about to elect a new leader.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Anyway, thanks for clarifying the confusing nature of your system petee - much appreciated.

eta - trying to clarify - the system is so fucking weird it's probably impossible to explain fully.

 

[petee]

for completeness i should point out that if you're going to join a minor party (a party that hasn't appeared on the ballot recently, like the SP or, god help us, the CP) you do have to join the party directly, like it's a political organization.

 

[tim]

All i want is footage of him leaving the white house being put to the benny hill theme tune .

I wouldn't risk playing that tune anywhere near that pervert, despite the appeal of seeing him slap Pence's head

 

[farmerbarleymow]

for completeness i should point out that if you're going to join a minor party (a party that hasn't appeared on the ballot recently, like the SP or, god help us, the CP) you do have to join the party directly, like it's a political organization.

Bloody hell, does your country deliberately make the system as confusing as possible? You can register as a dem/psycho but have to join a minor party if they haven't stood recently.

Thank god our system is very straightforward in comparison. And gerrymandering is quite rare.

 

[petee]

But it is odd in that groups of people who hate that party could declare that and potentially swing a primary to the advantage of their real choice of party (i.e. pick a hopeless candidate).

could, but it doesn't happen. the democrats and the GOPpers are too big/well organized to allow it. you'd be spotted.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Bloody hell, does your country deliberately make the system as confusing as possible? You can register as a dem/psycho but have to join a minor party if they haven't stood recently.

Thank god our system is very straightforward in comparison. And gerrymandering is quite rare.

We have the Crown, which is sovereign, except that Parliament is sovereign. Except that the government can act using Royal Prerogative, which is the Crown acting, but it isn't cos it's the government, which exists because the Commons supports it, except that it's appointed by the Crown, and acts through the Crown. And then there's the House of Lords.

So who's in charge again?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

could, but it doesn't happen. the democrats and the GOPpers are too big/well organized to allow it. you'd be spotted.

Hang on - if the parties have access to this data are they able to intervene in peoples' declared allegiances? Do they have the power or veto to remove a registered allegiance if they think someone/a group is up to no good?

I thought I'd understood it but the plot thickens...

 

[petee]

Bloody hell, does your country deliberately make the system as confusing as possible? You can register as a dem/psycho but have to join a minor party if they haven't stood recently.

Thank god our system is very straightforward in comparison. And gerrymandering is quite rare.

https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/voteregform-eng-fillable.pdf

those parties in section 14 are the ones that qualified for automatic ballot access by taking 50,000 votes in the last gubernatorial election. if the party you like isn't there, you have to get in touch with them directly.

e2a i see there's a line for "other" but i'm pretty sure you can't enroll through the BOE in a party that has no political (i.e. ballot) presence in the state, as parties in the US are chartered state-by-state.

 

[frogwoman]

What are write in candidates?

 

[frogwoman]

If I've understood correctly it means that if enough people wrote in eg 'Bernie Sanders' he would win?

 

[petee]

Hang on - if the parties have access to this data are they able to intervene in peoples' declared allegiances?

no.

Do they have the power or veto to remove a registered allegiance if they think someone/a group is up to no good?

no. if you're an active member and you get up to no good i believe they can remove you from your party function (district leader, e.g.) but they cannot go into the BOE rolls and cancel you.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

If I've understood correctly it means that if enough people wrote in eg 'Bernie Sanders' he would win?

I think so. Can't you write in whoever you want?

But then the delegates at the electoral college can just vote how they like anyway!

 

[frogwoman]

That's what I thought?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

We have the Crown, which is sovereign, except that Parliament is sovereign. Except that the government can act using Royal Prerogative, which is the Crown acting, but it isn't cos it's the government, which exists because the Commons supports it, except that it's appointed by the Crown, and acts through the Crown. And then there's the House of Lords.

So who's in charge again?

Completely agree - our system is fucking weird, but at least the electoral registration system is pretty straightforward.

My understanding is that HMG is in essence the crown, and as such is acting on that authority*. Acts don't apply to the crown by default unless specified by parliament - e.g Health and Safety at Work Act means the crown can only receive 'crown censure' rather than be prosecuted for killing people at work.

*I'm not a constitutional scholar

 

[farmerbarleymow]

This has turned into a really interesting discussion about the weirdness of the US electoral system - thanks all. Every day is a school day.

petee - please run for office to harmonise your systems with those of the UK to make it easier to understand.